Investigation Underway in Death of French Robertson Unit Inmate

 

ABILENE, TX -- An inmate at the French Robertson Unit in Abilene has died and an investigation into his weekend death is underway.

Seth Donnelly, 29, was found unresponsive in his cell on Friday and later died at Hendrick Medical Center on Sunday, according to KTXS.

An autopsy will be performed on Donnelly, but foul play is not suspected in the investigation run by the Office of the Inspector General-TDCJ.

Investigators believe that "illicit drugs" could be a contributing factor in the cause of Donnelly's death.

Donnelly's family told KTXS they were contacted on Friday and when they arrived their son was on life support. He was taken off it on Sunday.

Donnelly was serving a 12-year sentence for intoxication manslaughter out of Tarrant County.

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Who cares ? ? ? All it means is it freed up a bed for some other loser to occupy...............

I have to agree with grumpy ole Doc..... But this article also gave me an idea. If law enforcement could introduce all the confiscated Fentanyl into our prisons, we'd be freeing up beds and saving tons of money in no time.

Good to know there are 'Saints' alive and well in San Angelo. Never made a mistake, you're without sin huh? This was someones Son and they loved him. He was sentenced for 12 years not the death penalty. Cajun Texas - you idea sounds like the Nazi's and their killing tactics. Shame on you both. My sympathies for his family.

His need to drink superseded any thoughts to the consequences of getting behind the wheel in such a state. That night, the laws only applied to others, certainly not himself, and for that, an innocent person lost their life.

I take issue with those who misconstrue the term "mistake", when it comes to adults who willingly encroach upon the rights or disregard the safety of others. Intoxication manslaughter isn't a mistake, its a choice and a blatant disregard for the lives of other motorists.

This asshole had multiple convictions involving alcohol before he finally killed someone. He's dead and we're all the better for it.

You make it sound like he made a 'choice' to commit manslaughter. It was not premeditated that he get in a vehicle after drinking and go find someone to kill. We all willingly encroach upon the rights and disregard the safety of others on a daily basis. Example: going through a yellow signal light, not using our blinkers. It's not intentional, there are such things as accidents. None the less, he was a human being and his family deserves our empathy.

Blah, Blah, Blah...... He was someone's son..... He was somone's brother..... He was such a nice guy....... B.S.
He's in prison and still can't follow the rules and continue to break laws with drugs....... Good riddance !!!!!!!!!!!

Seems as if he might not have been '..break laws with drugs'. "According to the preliminary autopsy, which was performed by the Tarrant County Medical Examiner's Office, Donnelly suffered multi-organ failure following severe hyperthermia. Judge Sparky Dean said he was told by the hospital that Donnelly's core body temperature was 106-degrees. The cause of death is still unknown. The final autopsy is expected to be released in late July or early August after the toxicology results are complete." KTXS - Abilene reported. Surely you can have some empathy for someone who was 'cooked' from the inside out. He's not the first to die in such a horrendous manner and he won't be the last. Inhumane and unconstitutional. Yes, inmates are humans and 1 in 4 people have or know someone that is incarcerated. But for the grace of God go I and you.

Never proclaimed to be without sin, just without felony conviction that involved killing another or diddling kids. Give em what they want and let God sort them out.
The purpose of the original comment was not something I would ever expect to be implemented. However it was intended to evoke thought concerning our "kid glove" sentencing policies, and our outrageously overcrowded prisons.

How do you think our "outrageously overcrowded prisons" got to be that way? It certainly isn't from 'kid glove' sentencing policies. Tough on crime has done that job and it's proven to be a major failure. Mass incarceration will continue to wreck havoc on the tax payers until we embrace a restorative justice process. I suggest you read "Until We Reckon" by Danielle Sered. You may be enlightened concerning our criminal justice system.

First offense....community service or deferred adjudication. No real punishment there.
Second offense.......probation, fines and fees.
Third offense...... should not exist. If they had paid severe penalty for the first or second offense, they might be less inclined to commit crime again.
That results in our overcrowding problem. So we sentence them to 10 years and they're out in 3 or 4. While in prison, should they convert to a religion that requires certain dietary changes, TDCJ is mandated to provide that for them, along with prayer time that coincides with their jailhouse conversion.
The inmates run the system now, speak to any Corrections Officer who has 20+ years on the job.
As far as Mr. Donnelly is concerned, it sounds as if he may have ingested a drug that either caused or exacerbated his hyperthermia.
Out of curiosity, what would you recommend as punishment for this guy? Counseling and community service..... Me thinks not......
https://ktxs.com/news/nation-world/middle-tennessee-man-arrested-for-raping-a-child-every-night-for-3-years-police-say

TDCJ isn't innocent in anything, don't get me wrong some are awesome but some are dirty POS. They don't follow their own policies unless they get caught then they fix ot quit.. Check with OMBUDSMAN at how many times they have had grievances filed for them not following the rules.many

There's always some "stone throwers" on live, the funny thing is it's always the guys who haven't landed in jail for anything who are throwing them.
For those of us who went and learned from our mistakes, we are a little more likely to assess a situation like this one humbly. Not to be mistaken as somebody who would excuse one's criminal misdeeds, we seem to seek after a calculated and respectful assessment of others because we intimately know the working power of redemption and how, if we can have a new life, surely someone else can too. Having lived on this rock circling the sun for a little bit, I've learned that people can change and miracles do happen, albeit a lot less than I would like to see. I agree that we shouldn't have pity parties for those who are actively choosing the thug/drug life, but I don't agree in trash talking the dead, especially from someone who wouldn't say the same stuff to someone's face.

Hey guys, seriously, I have no clue why my picture is sideways, I've tried to remedy the issue but it spans from phone to home computer... may have to be horizontal Nate for a while until turning the picture has an effect.

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